Defense Engineering Salary
$27K - $35.5K
9% of jobs
$42.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$35.5K - $44K
20% of jobs
$44K - $52.5K
12% of jobs
$52.5K - $61K
8% of jobs
The median wage is $61.8K / yr.
$61K - $69.5K
12% of jobs
$77.5K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$69.5K - $78K
14% of jobs
$78K - $86.5K
9% of jobs
$86.5K - $95K
4% of jobs
$95K - $103.5K
4% of jobs
$103.5K - $112K
5% of jobs
$112K - $120.5K
3% of jobs
$27K
$64K
$119.5K
$65,624
/year
$31.55
/hour
Defense Engineering Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$65,624
Columbus
Ohio
$63,386
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How much does a Defense Engineering make?
As of Jul 31, 2026, the average annual pay for a Defense Engineering in the United States is $65,624 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $31.55 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,262/week or $5,468/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $119,500 and as low as $27,000, the majority of Defense Engineering salaries currently range between $42,000 (25th percentile) to $79,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $108,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Defense Engineering varies greatly (by as much as 37000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Defense Engineering in your area makes on average $63,386 per year, or $2,238 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $65,624. Ohio ranks number 40 out of 50 states nationwide for Defense Engineering salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Defense Engineering jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Defense Engineering on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Defense Engineering Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Defense Engineering job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with Carcross, YT, and North Cowichan, BC, close behind in the second and third positions. North Cowichan, BC, beats the national average by $26,396 (40.2%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $27,632 (42.1%) above the $65,624 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Defense Engineering appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Kentville, NS, and Kelowna, BC, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Defense Engineering role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Kentville, NS | $93,256 | $44.83 |
Carcross, YT | $92,608 | $44.52 |
North Cowichan, BC | $92,020 | $44.24 |
Duncan, BC | $91,666 | $44.07 |
Oak Bay, BC | $91,500 | $43.99 |
Victoria, BC | $91,112 | $43.80 |
Alberton, PE | $90,261 | $43.39 |
Courtenay, BC | $90,019 | $43.28 |
Saint John, NB | $89,427 | $42.99 |
Kelowna, BC | $89,239 | $42.90 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Defense Engineering Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Defense Engineering category.
For example F 22 Pilot jobs pay as much as $65,292 (99.5%) more than the average Defense Engineering salary of $65,624. If you're qualified, finding work as a F 22 Pilot may help you make more money than that of the average Defense Engineering position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
F 22 Pilot | $130,916 | $62.94 |
Faa Engineer | $96,970 | $46.62 |
Ltd Module Development Engineer | $96,155 | $46.23 |
Aircraft Performance Engineer | $80,789 | $38.84 |
Corrosion Technology | $57,221 | $27.51 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
